


Birthday Routines

by InkstainedGwyn



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Daily Routines, M/M, happy birthday yosuke, their daughter chisato
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 20:39:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15009008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkstainedGwyn/pseuds/InkstainedGwyn
Summary: Happy birthday,  Yosuke! This is a follow-up toDaily Routines, with Souji and their daughter Chi trying to throw a surprise birthday party for the brunette. Four-year-olds can't really keep secrets, though.Nothing but fluff.





	Birthday Routines

Yosuke’s birthday was just around the corner. On one hand he might have actually forgotten about it - between his teen years and his fatherhood years, it had simply become another day, albeit one that Souji always celebrated religiously. But now that Chi had discovered the joy of ‘surprise’ parties (they’d thrown one for her the fall before and she had begged for more every week for months - Christmas had actually been a Surprise Party for Santa - until she finally realised that Surprise Parties needed to be for Special Occasions), all events suddenly became possible targets. 

Of course, Daddy’s Birthday was a prime excuse, and things had not been subtle for the week leading up to the 22nd. Surprises stopped being a thing when you had a four-year-old daughter, but even if that hadn’t been the case, Yosuke wasn’t an idiot; he knew his husband’s tendencies, and knew that especially _now_ , with their daughter here, he’d jump at the chance to do something over-the-top. And that… didn’t really bother Yosuke. He didn’t care about his birthday - but he did love his family.

Chi was in her element. The weekend before The Date (his birthday was on a Wednesday), they were at breakfast when their daughter, who was drawing with crayons on a napkin as she ate slices of hard-boiled egg, spoke up.

“Daddy?”

“Hmm?” Yosuke, who’d been reading emails on his tablet, looked up. “What’s up, sweetheart?”

“What kind of cake do you like?”

Chuckling, he flashed a glance towards his husband, who had been reading the newspaper but was now watching them with a fond smile on his face. Shrugging lightly, Souji just mouthed, “play along,” over their daughter’s head.

Yosuke raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. “No shit,” he mouthed back. 

Souji chuckled, looking down at Chi, who’d just looked up, as if waiting for an answer; Yosuke’s smirk morphed quickly into a pensive expression.

“Well, I really like most cakes. But if I had to pick, I’d take strawberry, I think. With cream.”

The little girl’s face brightened at this. “That’s Auntie Nanako’s favourite, too!”

“Yes, yes it is.” Yosuke and Souji laughed, and their daughter joined in. After a moment, the brunette turned back to her. “Why do you ask?”

He already knew why, of course. But the momentary alarm on Chi’s face was amusing; after a moment, she shrugged, looking for all the world like she’d mastered the art of being nonchalant at the tender age of four. 

“Nuh-uh. I like cake!”

Souji and Yosuke both laughed at this, and Chi joined in again - she just loved to laugh, even if she didn’t understand the joke. It made Yosuke happy; he knew he was going to get gifts, but if anybody had asked him, _this_ was what he _truly_ wanted for his birthday.

* * *

Over the next few days, Yosuke managed to not pay _too_ much attention to what was going on - even when it was obvious, even when he swept up scraps of tissue paper, pieces of macaroni (but no glitter, thank heavens), splinters of popsicle sticks, snips of ribbon. He hummed quietly to himself to hide the voices as he passed by the kitchen, where Chi and Souji huddled over a cake recipe book, and he ignored the package and bulky folded card which sat in their closet, “safely” hidden.

The morning of his birthday, he found himself waking up not to his usual alarm, but instead to fingers gently stroking his neck and a slow, sweet kiss against his lips. As his eyelids fluttered open and his gaze sharpened, it focused on Souji, who was leaning over him, still dressed in his normal sleep clothes. Glancing over at the clock, the brunette saw that it was still early, and he ‘hmmmed’ happily into a second kiss. 

“Happy birthday, love,” Souji whispered softly as he pulled back. 

“Thanks, partner.” Yosuke kept his voice just as quiet; time alone in the mornings was precious, and too much noise would invite a small, cheerful guest. Of _course_ Yosuke wanted to see Chi - however, he also wanted a little time with his husband. He was just about to reach up and place his palm on Souji’s cheek to pull him in for another kiss, but Souji had turned away; it was then that Yosuke realised that their bedroom smelled like bacon and eggs.

Usually, Souji stuck with standard Japanese fare for their morning meals, but he also knew that Yosuke had a weakness for western breakfast foods, and today it seemed that he was indulging his husband. The brunette hurried to sit up, his eyes brightening; the bacon was cooked just crispy enough, and the eggs had a little cheese scrambled in, and-

“You’re _amazing_ , partner. This is great!” 

He fed Souji a few choice bites as he savoured his meal; Souji, meanwhile, started to get ready for work. He’d mentioned to Yosuke that he intended to take the day off, but the brunette told him not to worry about it; it was just a day, and they could save that time for a trip later on in the summer. Souji got few enough days off, so making the most of them when they could was better than nickeling-and-diming themselves. As Yosuke sipped his coffee, he watched his husband get dressed. It was a treat every time - especially as he admired just how _well_ Souji’s suits fit him - but he bit his tongue, knowing that if he said too much they’d both end up craving something that they couldn’t follow through on right now. Besides, they had a busy day ahead; they’d just have to set aside some ‘alone time’ later.

As Yosuke set his tray on the bedside table, preparing to climb out of bed and take it downstairs before going to wake Chi, he found his legs pinned down as Souji sat on the bed, a smile on his face.

“Not so fast.” He held out a sealed envelope, and raising an eyebrow, the brunette took it; wiping his knife on his napkin, Yosuke slipped it into the paper to slit it open. Inside, he found a pair of tickets; gasping, he read the band’s name off before looking up at Souji with wide eyes.

“ _You got us tickets?!?!_ ” He’d been hyped about this reunion tour for months, but had resigned himself to the thought that he’d have to watch it on TV or any live videos they might release. Apparently, however, Souji had managed to snag relatively decent seats. Yosuke was over the moon - but after a moment, his face fell.

“What about Chi? I’d love to take her, but she’s too young, and-”

“Kanji said not to worry, he’d babysit. You know how much he loves Chi.”

“Dude, really?” The excitement was back now, and he was _so_ happy that he reached out, wrapping an arm around Souji’s waist to pull his husband in close, burying his face against his shoulder. “You- you’re amazing, Souji. Thank you.” 

“Of course. Only the best for my partner.” The response made Yosuke grin, and he pulled Souji in for a grateful kiss. Souji, of course, responded eagerly - who _wouldn’t_? - and Yosuke wanted nothing more to follow through with it, except that at that moment, the small alarm on Souji’s iWatch went off, reminding them that it was time to wake their daughter up. 

“Sorry, partner.” Souji gave the brunette a chagrined smile as he stood up, and Yosuke sighed, though really - he wasn’t mad. He couldn’t be mad. They’d just make sure to find time later.

Souji woke Chi up, helping her get dressed and making sure she washed her face, while Yosuke packed the family bentos; as he carried them out to tuck into their respective bags, Chi looked up from her glass of juice (she usually ate breakfast at daycare.)

“Morning, daddy! Happy-” Here, she paused, eyes going wide for a second as she remembered. “Day! Right, daddy? It’s a happy day!”

Chuckling inwardly, Yosuke leaned over to kiss her forehead - she was honestly so cute that he almost couldn’t stand it. “Indeed it is.” She looked satisfied, and over her head, Souji smiled, leaning in to give the brunette a good-bye kiss. 

“I might have to work late, so we’ll order dinner. Don’t buy anything, okay?” His eyes told Yosuke that this was Part of the Plan, and Yosuke put his best pout on.

“If you have to, just don’t work too hard. Chi and I will hold down the fort until you get home. Right, sweetheart?” He held out a hand, and the four-year-old slapped it.

“Right, daddy!”

After seeing Souji and Chi off, Yosuke went back into the house to clean up the kitchen; once that was done he poured himself another mug of coffee before heading into his office. It was a normal day, all things considered; since it was his birthday he allowed himself a couple of breaks to listen to some of his CDs, still over the moon that Souji had gotten him concert tickets. Remembering their first birthday together, he couldn’t help but smile. Maybe they’d be able to get ramen at that same store after the concert. 

His mother called at lunch, and he got to talk to both of his parents, as well as Teddie; when he brought the mail inside, he found a card from Nanako, as well as one from Rise which told him to keep an eye on the mail, her present would be coming in a few days. He received birthday texts from the others; Chie started a discussion in their group chat about everybody meeting up in a month or so, when Souji could take vacation, and all-in-all, it was a happy, comfortable day.

True to his word, Yosuke skipped food shopping that afternoon; it was too warm outside to go to the playground, so he and Chi put on their swimsuits (and sunscreen, of course) and splashed together for an hour in the kiddie pool in the shade of their backyard. They were just singing along together to a song on the radio when they heard Souji’s car in the driveway; Yosuke had already gotten the text saying, “I’m actually coming home on time,” but he made sure to act surprised.

“Hey, look at that! Dad’s home!”

“Yaaay! Dad!”

Going into the front yard, they greeted Souji as he climbed out of his SUV; he looked a little surprised at their outfits - his eyes skimming Yosuke’s form appreciatively in a way the brunette did not miss - but then just laughed as Chi slid her hand into his.

“Too bad I had to work, I would have joined you guys.”

Grinning, Yosuke crossed his arms. “We can go to the pool this weekend?” Chi, of course, loved this idea, and the brunette had no complaints about envisioning Souji in swim trunks. It would be fun.

His husband laughed again. “Let’s do that.” They headed into the house, and as Souji was slipping his shoes off, he looked apologetically at the brunette. “I know I said not to get anything for dinner, but I didn’t expect to be home early…”

Yosuke laughed. They needed to get him out of the house, of course. “Hey, no sweat, partner. I’d rather you be home early and cook than be late and order in, you know? Get me a list while I get my shower.”

“Thanks.” Souji leaned in to give the brunette a soft kiss, and they smiled at one another for a moment. “I’ll get Chi her bath while you’re gone.”

“Sounds good.”

* * *

The list was just standard, and in fact, the ingredients made Yosuke think that Souji probably planned to make curry the next night, something that the brunette knew he’d very much enjoy. He didn’t know what Souji had planned for _tonight’s_ dinner, but he was sure he’d find out when he got home. He took his time shopping, then when he felt like he’d given them enough prep time, headed home with his purchases.

Stepping into the house with a bag on each arm, Yosuke was greeted by a cry of “Happy Birthday, Daddy!” as Chi - dressed in her best princess dress, one that Kanji had made for her for Christmas - came running to meet him, a glow on her face. “Did we surprise you?”

Even if he hadn’t actually seen anything yet, how could he look at that smile and say anything other than “Of course”?

Giggling, she grabbed his right hand after he quickly shifted both bags to his left; as expected, she dragged him into the dining room, where Souji was waiting. 

Of course, he wasn’t expecting Souji to be dressed in a _tuxedo_ , although with Chi in her princess dress, it made sense. Still - _damn_. _Oof, he looks so good._ That would wait for later, though. Souji stepped up and took the bags with a smile, leaning in to kiss Yosuke’s cheek.

“Happy birthday, partner.” The two exchanged a warm glance.

“There’s cake, daddy!” Chi, of course, was ecstatic, tugging Yosuke to a seat; Souji turned to put the groceries away. As the brunette sat, he looked at the aforementioned dessert; it was a strawberry cream cake, and it had the words “Happy Birthday, Daddy (Yosuke)” written in icing. The handwriting was tidy and familiar - obviously Souji’s. The decorations, however - sliced strawberries ringed by hearts - were shaky, and as Yosuke smiled over them, Souji walked up behind him. 

“Chi drew the hearts.” Yosuke could hear the pride in his husband’s voice

“Yeah!” Their daughter was still standing next to Yosuke’s chair. “The strawberries looked like hearts, so I drew bigger hearts around them!” 

“They look great, sweetie. I can’t wait to try it.” Chi really was ridiculously artistic; Yosuke made a mental note to talk to Souji about buying her some more crayons and maybe some non-toxic watercolour paints. 

“It’s gonna be great, daddy!” The little girl beamed as Souji helped her into her high chair, then set a plate of spaghetti in front of her. Looking up, Yosuke saw that his husband had just placed a pan of lasagna on the table; empty containers on the counter had the name of his favourite Italian restaurant on them. The birthday talk ebbed for a little while everyone dug into their meals; lasagna was a rare treat - although to be honest, Yosuke preferred his husband’s recipe - but this restaurant was his favourite for a reason, and their food was as amazing as always. And eating it while sitting across from a tuxedo-clad Souji made it taste all the better. 

Once they’d finished dinner and cake, Souji cleared away the dishes; Chi - whose lips were pink from the icing - clapped her hands.

“Now it’s present time!” Yosuke had already received Souji’s, of course, but at Chi’s words Souji reached over, picking a small bundle and folded card made of construction paper up off the counter - the same ones that had been ‘hidden’ in their closet for weeks - and set them in front of Yosuke with a smile. “Dad and I picked it out together!” 

Yosuke grinned at his daughter before picking up the card. It was covered in painted macaroni sunflowers - just like the ones they’d been making together - and a stick-figure portrait of a small, black-haired girl and two men, one with silver hair and one with brunette. It was quite possibly the sweetest thing she’d ever given Yosuke, and he had to blink hard for a moment as he walked over to hug her tightly.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Can I put it in my study?”

“Mmm!” This clearly made her happy, but she was also bouncing in her seat, still waiting for him to get to the package. “Open it, daddy! Open it!” It was a matter of moments to peel the paper back; what he saw, however, actually made his jaw go slack - and across from him, Souji’s shoulders started to shake as he tried to hide his laughter.

In his hands, Yosuke held a tie box, and in it was a tie - covered in cats.

“Isn’t it cute?” Chi - who loved cats just as much as her dad - clapped. “It’s gonna look great on you, daddy!” 

Oh well. It’s not like he wasn’t married to a cat fanatic - and Souji would probably be thrilled if Yosuke used it. At least the brunette didn’t have to worry about wearing it into an office. “I love it, sweetheart. Thank you.” He leaned over, kissing her forehead, and she giggled.

“I love you, daddy!” 

* * *

After presents, they watched _The Cat Returns_ ; by the time the credits were rolling, Chi was yawning hard. With a chuckle Yosuke picked her up, carrying her to her room to tuck her into bed; her last words were a sleepy, “G’night, daddy. Love you.” After turning the lights out, he stood in the doorway for a while, watching her sleep with a lightness in his heart. _I wouldn’t trade this for the world._

A few minutes later he heard footsteps, and Souji appeared behind him, wrapping an arm around the brunette’s waist. 

“She sleeping okay?”

“Mhm.” Yosuke turned to smile at his husband; Souji returned it, his own smile gentle, and leaned his forehead against the brunette’s.

“Come on, partner. The night’s not over yet.” 

When they got back into the kitchen, Yosuke saw two glasses of champagne sitting on the counter. Souji - who hadn’t let go of his husband’s waist - picked one up, handing it to Yosuke, then picked up his own before tapping it against the brunette’s, the sound of crystal ringing softly through the kitchen.

“Happy birthday to the love of my life.” 

Souji’s voice was warm, and Yosuke blushed, shoving his husband’s shoulder with his own, before taking a sip from his glass. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Mhm. And you love it.” Taking both glasses and setting them back on the counter, Souji turned Yosuke so that he was holding one of the brunette’s hands, wrapping his other arm back around his waist. Soft music drifted from the living room, and the two slowly started to waltz around the kitchen. 

“Of course I do,” Yosuke said, smiling as Souji leaned in to kiss him again. Once upon a time he would have been embarrassed at this; now, while he wouldn’t exactly want to do this in public, he was more than happy to spend “sappy, romantic” time together. 

After the kiss, Souji trailed his lips down, slowly starting to trace soft kisses along the brunette’s jaw as Yosuke shivered. From the jaw, he moved up to his husband’s ear, his voice a quiet whisper.

“Let me take care of you tonight.” 

Amber eyes met silver, and Yosuke reached up to push a strand of his husband’s hair behind his ear. He loved Souji _so much_ that sometimes he still couldn’t believe that the feelings were mutual, even after seventeen years. “It would be my pleasure.” 

Souji smirked, pulling Yosuke in a slow, sweet kiss, a mirror of the one they’d shared that morning. “Your pleasure indeed. Happy birthday, partner.”


End file.
